How Community Advisory

Boards Can Assist the Work of

the Justice System
Community engagement is an essential component of a well-functioning justice system. By strategically engaging the public, justice agencies can foster trust and mutual understanding, build
partnerships, and solve local problems. Through community engagement, the justice system can
also access local resources, including community volunteers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2
This fact sheet focuses on a single community engagement strategy: community advisory boards,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
providing guidance to justice practitioners interested in creating one.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4
Community advisory boards provide community members with a forum to air concerns, learn
INTRODUCTION
5
about the justice system, and steer new initiatives. They bring in voices and perspectives that are
FINDINGS
overlooked. And they send a strong symbolic message about accountability.
8
sometimes
RECOMMENDATIONS

13
Although creating and sustaining a board can be rewarding, it can also be a challenge. Justice
A.
IDENTIFYING
AND DEFINING
THEthoughtful
ISSUE
system
administrators
should be
when deciding on whether to develop a community 14
advisory
board. Start
by determining
if aOUTCOMES
community advisory board is the best way to engage 17
B.
CONNECTING
ATTENDANCE
TO FUTURE
the community or if another method of community outreach more appropriately fits your needs.
C.
ADDRESSING
STRUCTURAL
BARRIERS
TO SCHOOL
ATTENDANCE
In doing
so, evaluate
if a board
will complement
your
organizations mission. Next, decide if your 21
organization
prepared to dedicate
the time
needed
toOR
operate
a successful
board.
Finally, de- 26
D.
PROVIDINGisINTERVENTIONS
FOR YOUTHS
AFFECTED
BY,
AT-RISK
FOR, CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM
cide if you are able to balance the differing views, interests, skills, and commitment levels of comCONCLUSION
33
munity members with the needs and limitations of the justice system.
WORKS CITED

34

If you decide to create a community advisory board, be realistic about what it can and cannot
YOUTH JUSTICE BOARD MEMBER AND STAFF BIOGRAPHIES
36
achieve. Community advisory boards can backfire if they are not managed properly or if members
feel like they
are being used
rather than truly consulted.
APPENDIX
1: RESEARCH
DESIGN
40
APPENDIX 2: THE YOUTH JUSTICE BOARD PROGRAM

42

This fact sheet is based on a survey of 20 small, mid-size, and large jurisdictions across the United
States currently employing community advisory boards. It provides guidance on establishing
goals, a review of practical considerations, and examples of accomplishments from around the
country.

Bureau of Justice Assistance

U.S. Department of Justice

This publication was written by Danielle Malangone and Carmen Facciolo of the
Center for Court Innovation. The publication was supported by Grant No. 2011-DCBX-K002 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice
Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute
of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office
for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the official positions or policies of the U.S.
Department of Justice. Published May 2014.

1. GOALS
THE FIRST STEP IN CREATING A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD IS TO DEVELOP CLEAR GOALS.

These are some goals community advisory

boards across the country have adopted:

Help recruit volunteers

Inform priorities

Identify public safety and other community

problems
Provide feedback on operations and
policies
Identify community resources
Access funding
Brainstorm solutions to challenges

When developing goals, think about why

you are creating a community advisory
board and how you will define success. Goals
should be realistic, achievable, and measurable. They should be reevaluated regularly so
that the board does not lose focus and stays
true to its purpose.

2. MEMBERSHIP
DECIDING WHO WILL BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD IS THE NEXT STEP IN THE PLANNING
PROCESS.

The survey of 20 community advisory

boards found that members included:
Judges
Public defenders
Police, sheriffs, and other members of law
enforcement
Elected officials
Community residents
Representatives of faith-based
organizations
Staff of other relevant government
agencies, such as education, transit, and
health departments
Prosecutors
Court managers
Probation/parole employees
Community residents
Representatives of social service partners
Representatives of the business community
Civic organizations
Staff of other non-profits and community
institutions
After deciding on who will be a part of your
community advisory board, you may wish to

decide on requirements of new members, including how long members may serve on the
community advisory board, whether members must be interviewed or provide references, and if members should have to sign
some type of formal commitment letter.
Tip: When recruiting members, do not focus
solely on titles. Think about including members who have strong but informal connections to the community, in addition to people
who hold formal positions within community-based organizations.
Tip: During the membership selection process, be clear about the role of community
advisory board members. To manage potential members expectations, remind them of
the boards goals and limitations, and the
types of problems that are appropriate for
the board to address.
Tip: Think long and hard about the size of
the board. Large boards can be difficult to
move toward consensus. Small boards inevitably exclude important perspectives.

3. FORMAT
WHEN DESIGNING THE FORMAT OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, PLANNERS CAN USE THE FOLLOWING
SIX QUESTIONS AS A GUIDE.

Will meetings be open to the public?

Where will meetings occur?
When and how often will the board meet?
Who will lead the meetings?
How will meetings be run?
How will the board be publicized?
Public vs. Private
Meetings that are open to the public can
offer the opportunity for non-members to
speak and share ideas. This allows wider
community participation, but depending on
the goals of the meetings, may make certain topics inappropriate or require lengthier
meetings. Meetings that are not open to
the public lose the opportunity to hear new
voices, but may allow for more in-depth
problem-solving when discussing sensitive
information. Non-public meetings are generally shorter than public meetings. Always
check with local law to determine whether
community advisory boards are subject to
public meeting requirements.
Meeting Place
If possible, hold meetings at a location that
is central and convenient to the boards
members. Architecture matters - where a
meeting is held can determine whether it
is productive or not. Does the room have
windows? Air conditioning? Is it viewed
as neutral territory by all participants? For
example, the Newark (NJ) Community Solutions Community Advisory Board holds its
meetings at a local law school because this
location is more convenient than the centralized courthouse.
Timing
Think about holding meetings at a time that
is most convenient to the members (even
if this sometimes means that they will be

less convenient for staff). To accomplish

this, many community advisory boards hold
meetings in the evenings, before work or
during lunch hour.
Consider how frequently your board should
meet, balancing your own needs with the
community advisory board members needs.
Check to see that your meeting does not
conflict with other community meetings in
order to maximize attendance.
Chairing the Board
The convening agency or a community
member can lead the community advisory
board. The San Francisco Community Justice Center Advisory Board is chaired by the
judge who presides over the justice centers
court calendar, whereas the New York City
Police Department Precinct Community
Councils are led by an elected president and
board members rather than law enforcement
personnel.
Running Meetings
Create protocols for the community advisory
board. Having a written agenda, establishing
timeframes, and capturing and disseminating
minutes are crucial tools for running efficient
and constructive meetings. These tools make
members feel invested in the process and
prevents members from feeling as though
the meetings are not meaningful or a waste
of time.
Tip: If meetings include time for receiving
community input, be clear about how and
if the feedback will be used. Managing the
communitys expectations will improve their
trust in the community advisory board and
will open lines of communication between
community members and the justice system.

Publicizing the Community Advisory Board

A website or newsletter can publicize meeting dates, agendas, and minutes. Creating an
annual report allows the community advisory
board to publicize the boards accomplishments and set goals for the upcoming year.

Tip: Consider offering food during community advisory board meetings. Small items
such as snacks or beverages may entice
members to attend meetings, especially during breakfast or lunch hours. Just as important, food can help create atmosphere and
set a welcoming tone for the gathering.

4. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS CAN FOSTER IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

These improvements should respond to the

needs and concerns of community members
and may range from enhancing responses to
persistent problems to opening communication lines between justice agencies and the
public. Here are some examples of achievements from community advisory boards
across the United States:
Creating New Programming
Community advisory boards can play an
important role in creating new programming such as community service projects,
victim-offender discussion panels and crime
prevention strategies. After members of
the Midtown (NY) Community Court Community Conditions Panel expressed concern
over the number of illegal street vendors in
Midtown Manhattan, the court developed the
Vendor Education Program, which educates
unlicensed vendors about city regulations
and offers resources to help them access
services and gain legitimate employment.
The conditions panel was instrumental in the
implementation of the program and helping to research and write a manual that the
court distributes to those charged with illegal vending.
Improving Communications
Community advisory boards can facilitate
communication between the community
and the criminal justice system, improving
public trust in the justice system. The Mesa
(AZ) Police Department Chiefs Community
Advisory Boards hold town hall meetings to

communicate new legislations impact on

the community. For example, when a recent
immigration law was passed that affected a
specific group of constituents, the advisory
boards met with local residents to ease fears
and misconceptions about the law.
Securing Resources
Community advisory boards provide access to new resources, such as funding and
partnerships. The community advisory board
of the Indianapolis Community Court helped
identify organizations to provide on-site
services. Services that have been added at
the suggestion of advisory board members
include: providing flu shots, securing birth
certificates and ID Cards for community
court clients, and brokering relationships
with addiction counseling, housing, and employment training providers.
Planning Community Events
Local community events can be coordinated
by the community advisory board. The Overland Park (OR) Community Courts Community Advisory Board collaborates with local
law enforcement to plan and host the communitys annual National Night Out Against
Crime, an event that is aimed at celebrating
crime reduction and an improvement in the
quality of life in the neighborhood.
Identifying and Tackling Persistent Problems
Community advisory boards can assist the
criminal justice system in identifying persistent public safety problems that negatively

impact the community. After a member of

the advisory board at Bronx (NY) Community Solutions noticed that the Bronx was experiencing an influx of young people being
arrested for trespassing, a partnership was
developed with the Bronx Borough Presidents Office to create a trespassing awareness curriculum in schools to deter young
people from committing this crime.
Tip: Be creative and realistic about what the
community advisory board can accomplish.
Keep it fresh so that the boards projects do
not become routine, especially if the board
has been in existence for several years.

Tip: Communicate both your accomplishments and your failures to the community.
Failures provide important lessons about
public policy, helping inform the public
about which strategies and programs work
and which dont. Willingness to discuss
failures in public also helps build the courts
credibility.
Tip: Consider holding a strategic planning
exercise each year to set the community
advisory boards priorities.

FURTHER READING
Engaging the Community: A Guide for Community Justice Planners
www.courtinnovation.org/research/engaging-community-guide-community-justice-planners

Red Hook Planning Diary Excerpt: Engaging

the Community
www.courtinnovation.org/research/red-hook-planningdiary-excerpt-engaging-community

Engaging Stakeholders in Your Project

www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/documents/engaging_2010.pdf

The Public Wants to be Involved: A Roundtable Conversation about Community and

Restorative Justice
www.courtinnovation.org/research/public-wants-beinvolved-roundtable-conversation-about-communityand-restorative-justice

CENTER FOR COURT INNOVATION

The winner of the Peter F. Drucker Award for
Non-profit Innovation, the Center for Court
Innovation is a unique public-private partnership that promotes new thinking about
how the justice system can solve difficult
problems like addiction, quality-of-life crime,
domestic violence, and child neglect.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Center for Court Innovation

520 Eighth Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, New York 10018
646 386 4462
info@courtinnovation.org
www.courtinnovation.org